Steveston Village Vietamese Restaurant

Time of visit: Lunch
Price: $8 small | $8.50 large
Location: 120-12480 No. 1 Rd, Richmond, BC 

Dorothy’s POV

Although this restaurant serves other Vietnamese dishes such as lemongrass chicken with rice, I only go for the pho (specifically rare beef pho).

I love the atmosphere of the restaurant. It’s very well lit during the summer time and gives off a cozy feeling during the winter. The place is also quite spacious compared to other Vietnamese restaurants I have been to. Furthermore, the service is always friendly!

If you decide to try the pho, I recommend getting the large as it is only fifty cents more and the portion is significantly  larger. My previous Favourite restaurant for pho was pho lan but during my last visit, I realized that their soup base was watered down and less flavorful than before. Therefore, Steveston Village is my new go-to. When compared to the new price adjustments of other Vietnamese restaurants, Steveston Village offers a reasonable portion size and full flavors.

I definitely recommend giving Steveston Village Vietnamese Restaurant a try if you’re in Steveston, or if you simply want to try out a new Vietnamese restaurant!

Gami Sushi

Time of Visit: Lunch, Dinner
Price: $10ish
Location: 10111 Number 3 Rd Richmond, BC

It’s been quite a while since my last post but we’re back at it again for the new year! Let’s start off to my new go-to place for sushi (mainly because it’s quite affordable and accessible).

Gami Sushi is a small sushi restaurant ran by Koreans located in the Broadmoor mall, conveniently near Steveston London Secondary. There’s about five booth tables and six open tables so the restaurant isn’t really that big. However, I really like the interior design as it has an organic look.

The prices of the nigiri is a lot less than most of the other sushi places I have been to. The salmon nigiri is only $1.45, compared to around $2 at most other places. My favorite chopped scallop nigiri is only $1.85 as well, compared to Torarenbo’s $2.50. Most importantly, the quality is not compromised for the price.

I made the mistake of ordering the sunomono. Yes, the portion is quite big, but it is too sour. If you want good sunomono, you’ll find it at Kyo Sushi.

The service is a bit slow when it comes to ordering and seating. There are usually two waitresses for the whole restaurant during lunchtime and although the restaurant isn’t that big, it seems that the two could use more help. At lunch and dinner rush hours, there aren’t enough seats to accommodate the demand so it would be wise to call ahead and ask if they’re willing to take reservations. If there’s no seats, you could always order sushi to-go as you get 10% off.

I recommend giving Gami a try for an inexpensive but decent meal.

MoMa Contemporary Bistro

Time of visit: 1. Dinner, June 2013 2. Dinner, June 2014
Price: +$20
Location: Unit #104-8580 Cambie Road, Richmond, BC V6X 4J8
Website: http://www.momabistro.com/index.html

Dorothy’s POV

Following the closure (due to the retirement of the previous owners) of the previous italian restaurant (which I have since forgotten the name of), two chefs – Chef Henry Mok and Chef Xin Mao – have taken over and now serve French and Italian cuisine with a twist.

In the time that Moma has been open, I have had the chance to visit it twice. For me, it’s not a place I’d go often as it’s not exactly affordable for a student. However, it’s an excellent place to eat at for special occasions (such as my birthday).

Moma, being a contemporary bistro, serves very modern and unique dishes. For the first visit, I had the steamed clams for the appetizer (or “small dish” as they call it) and foie gras with a potato and fresh greens salad for my second visit. The clams is made in japanese style as it is served in a sake-miso broth. I really enjoyed the strong alcohol taste although that may not be the case for everyone. Needless to say, the bowl was licked clean (figuratively). Now for the foie gras.. For those who don’t know, foie gras is either duck or goose liver that has been fattened up. I certainly don’t enjoy the idea of that but the product is absolutely amazing. I being a big fan of foie gras, had no trouble picking my appetizer for my second visit. However, it is not an item in their regular menu. It falls under “weekly special” so I was very lucky to be able to try it. The greens were slightly sour, perfect for increasing one’s appetite. The potato salad was also very good as it was warm and seasoned just right. I ALWAYS save the best for last therefore the foie gras is saved until the end. To my surprise, the portion was quite big for the price that I paid ($17 if I remember correctly). The foie gras was cooked to perfection. Words cannot describe how heavenly that dish is. If you get a chance, try it out – You will not be disappointed!

Now for the main dishes (or “large dish” as they call it). I had the 10oz grilled angus rib eye both times but the appearance of the dish varied. During my first visit, the steak was cut into strips and was thicker than it was wide, with the chimichurri (green sauce made of finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and vinegar. The sauce was an excellent compliment with the steak. My only complain about the sauce is that it seemed stronger than my last visit which overpowered the flavor of the steak. Surprisingly they managed to keep the prices the same after a whole year and still maintain their high quality of beef. The side (which is asparagus lightly seasoned) was also surprisingly pleasant. My dad who normally dislikes greens finished all his asparagus and the leftovers of my sister. I recommend this 10/10.

Now for the best part, DESSERT! My two choices were macarons and molten chocolate cake. However, macarons are no longer an option on the menu. I wanted to try the tiramisu but unfortunately they were out (also a weekly special). The macarons were quite interesting as there was three different flavors. If I remember correctly, they should’ve been rose, green tea and earl grey. As for the lava cake, I was slightly disappointed; Not in the flavor, but because it was slightly overcooked so no chocolate came flowing out. The cake was very rich and I was veeeery satisfied.

If you plan on visiting Moma, I recommend it 100%. Take a chance, you won’t regret it!

Foie Gras w/ greens and potato salad

Steam Clams (2013)

Steam Clams

10oz Grilled Angus Beef Rib Eye

Smoked Brome Lake Duck Breast

Assorted Macarons

Fresh Baked Molten Chocolate Cake

 

Mandalay Lounge & Steakhouse

Time of visit: Saturday dinner
Price: $15-$30 without appetizer or drinks
Location: 3900 Bayview St, Richmond, BC V7E 0A4
Website: mandalaysteakhouse.com/

Demitri’s POV

Chicken tagliatelle with mushrooms: The pasta was in a generous portion and aforementioned chicken in plenty, but the flavour was straying a bit on the salty side for my taste.

Chicken tagliatelle

 

Dorothy’ s POV

I had the chance of visiting this beautiful restaurant for my friend’s birthday. We managed to get a private room on the second floor so I unfortunately, did not get to experience the rest of the place. The room has a really nice view but is too dark to take good photos in.

I ordered the wild salmon as I am a big fan of salmon and I wasn’t in the mood for burgers or steaks. The presentation of the dish was very appealing: the salmon rested upon a mound of rice with what I believe is hollandaise sauce as decoration. The roasted vegetables and crab & corn hash also complimented the salmon very well.

The crab & corn hash was absolutely amazing. It consists of crab meat, corn, and dried apricots for sweetness. The salmon on the other hand, was slightly drier than I’d like it. Although not the best salmon I’ve had, it is not the worst.

Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Mandalay. The service was friendly and the food was great, although slightly pricey (The view makes it all better).

Wild salmon with crab & corn hash

 

 

Tokyo Joe’s Sushi Factory

Time of visit: Dinner, Saturday
Cost: $10ish
Location: 8211 Ackroyd Rd Richmond, BC V6X3J9
Website: www.tokyojoesushifactory.com/renewal/main.html

Dorothy’s POV

Situated between Richmond Centre and Lansdowne, Tokyo Joe isn’t really a place I’d normally stop by. It is a small little sushi restaurant right across from the Price Smart Foods, not a place you’d go to for fancy sushi. However, it is certainly a place where you can get cheap food for a relatively cheap price (if you pick the right things to order though).

For my first visit, I went  for dinner. We were relatively early for a dinner run so the restaurant was empty when we first sat down. We sat at a two person table which I did not really enjoy my time at. The table was too small for what it was holding – napkin dispenser, soy sauce, chopstick holder. By the time our food arrived, there was barely enough room for us to put our dish of soy sauce. Here is a close visual representation:

The food was quite a surprise though. I ordered the avocado & salmon roll and mango California roll. I really enjoyed both of them HOWEVER I believe the California roll could have been better. It was quite obvious that they used frozen mango because it was soggyish and made the roll soggy too. Tip: Don’t order the mango California roll unless it’s summer (I’m not sure if they use fresh mangoes in the summer tho). In terms of sushi, avocado and salmon are my two favorite ingredients so the avocado & salmon roll is perfect for me. The roll consisted of very generous portions of salmon and some avocado wrapped in seaweed and rice.

Another point that draws me in: Tokyo Joe’s Sushi Factory (NOT the one in the same mall as price smart, only the one across from it) offers all you can drink miso soup. On a cold day (which our visit sort of was), this is a great addition. All in all, I managed to spend exactly $10 including tips and tax for my meal.

Now for my second visit.

I brought my friends here for a late lunch and the place was packed. We ended up being seated on the side bar(?) tables. It was an awkward place to sit because my jacket (which I always put behind my chair) would hit the person sitting behind me, on a lower table. It was also a difficult place to get in and out of, especially when I’m holding two hot bowls of miso soup. However, we managed to get through our meal without severely burning/hurting anyone.

I ordered the avocado & salmon roll again but I had the Alaska roll instead of the mango roll. Unfortunately, the mango roll is not something I’d have again here. This time, there was a bigger amount of avocado than salmon – which isn’t bad per se for the price I’m paying. As for the Alaska roll: I’d have to say this is one of the best Alaska rolls I’ve had (which isn’t hard because it’s basically smoked salmon on a California roll). It is absolutely something I will order again for my next visit.

For this meal, I believe I spent around $12 including tax and tips – slightly more expensive than I expected for a lunch.

Overall, this is a great restaurant to visit if you’re looking for something inexpensive with a relatively good quality. 10/10 will visit again.

Alaska and avocado & salmon roll

Mango California Roll and Salmon Avocado Roll

Closeup of mango California roll

Closeup of salmon & avocado roll